Accuracy in archery is often materially affected by the stance of the archer, the way the archer grips the bow, and the unbalanced force generated in releasing the string. Several problems are commonly associated with archery. These problems include bow torqueing, fatigue of the archer, insufficient strength and insufficient forearm clearance.
Bow torqueing is a common problem associated with an archer's poor hand position when gripping the handle of the bow. Hand torque occurs when the archer exerts pressure on the bow's riser at the handle and unintentionally twists the bow when the archer releases the string. This twist turns the proper position and creates mis-alignment of the allow axis to the handle, which subsequently causes the arrow to travel in an unintended direction. This could also result in the arrow fishtailing. The accuracy of the archer is significantly affected by the hand torque and mis-alignment. The torqueing problem is usually remedied by training the archer to adopt proper hand position. However, in situations such as bow hunting, archers sometimes find themselves shooting from unusual or inconvenient locations, thus preventing the archer from gripping the bow in a proper position.
The alignment and the position of the bow when the archer aims are also important to achieving accuracy. The bow should be vertical when the archer aims and shoots. To align the bow vertically, archers are often required to turn their wrist and elbow away from their most natural and comfortable position. This could easily tire many archers, causing poor form and accuracy.
Forearm clearance refers to the space between the archer's forearm of the arm holding the bow and the arrow. Insufficient forearm clearance can result in a part of the arrow, such as the fletch, contacting the forearm or the clothing of the archer when the arrow is released. This can alter the normal travel path of the arrow, causing the arrow to miss the target. Normally, the archer's bow arm, his line of sight, and the sight aim should form a straight line and be aligned with the arrow's line of travel. Such proper form inevitably reduces forearm clearance because the bow arm has to be straightened and be positioned adjacent to the arrow. For most of the common stances in archery, the archers often find themselves in a dilemma in maintaining the proper stance while maximizing forearm clearance.